iHeps 13: Men’s Horizontals

The horizontal jumps may serve as a bellwether for the men’s title. If Cornell breaks even with Princeton in these disciplines, it will help the Big Red. But if three Tiger jumpers can live up to their promise, it could turn out to be a huge advantage for the Orange & Black. The primary focus on each discipline is a junior going for a third straight crown.

On the long jump side it is Cornell’s Steven Bell, who is one of three 24-footers in the League so far this season. Yet there are a number of challengers who want to keep him from joining Harvard’s Aggrey Awori as a three-peater in the event. Awori completed his back-to-back-to-back feat nearly 50 years ago (1965). The other two who have gone 24 in 2013 are Bell’s teammate Hercules Stancil and Princeton’s versatile Tom Hopkins. But don’t discount another Tiger — Damon McLean — who has flown that far before.

And McLean is the one looking for the triple triple, having won both as a freshman and sophomore. Like Bell, he is looking to join select company if he can win (Only Penn’s Tuan Wreh and Navy’s Joel Robertson are in the club). McLean earned All-America status a year ago, landing a wind-aided 52-7 1/4 for eighth place at NCAAs. But lurking just centimeters behind him so far this year is sophomore teammate Nana Owusu-Nyantekyi. No one has been within two feet of that Orange-clad pair.